Author Topic: Russian Orthodox Anglicans (Read 1234 times)

Cantarella · « **on:** November 21, 2013, 06:56:03 PM »

Russian Orthodox tell Archbishop of Canterbury: ordain women bishops and you can forget about unity

There's a quaint Anglican concept of the universal Church known as the "branch theory". This claims that there are three main branches to apostolic Christianity: Roman, Orthodox and Anglican. It's much favoured by Church of England clerics who aren't very keen on "Romans", as they call Catholics, and convey their anti-Papist sentiment in pro-Orthodox code, forever banging on about the riches of Byzantine spirituality, the mystical power of icons, etc. Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, is an example of this breed.

What these pro-Orthodox Anglicans don't stress is that ordaining women priests was just as great an obstacle to unity with Constantinople and Moscow and it was to unity with Rome. And women bishops? Metropolitan Hilarion, head of ecuмenical relations for the Moscow Patriarchate, delivered a pretty blunt message to the new Archbishop of Canterbury last weekend (H/T Gillibrand):

The introduction of the institution of female bishops will lead to the elimination of even a theoretical possibility of the Moscow patriarchate recognising the church hierarchy of the Anglican church, the communications service of the Department of External Church Relations reported on Saturday.

Even a theoretical possibility, note. This is exactly the same message coming from Rome (please don't kid yourself that a change of Pope will make any difference). Of course, Hilarion's warning won't stop the C of E eventually ordaining women bishops, but let's be clear about the consequences: the Orthodox Churches, following the lead of Moscow, will finally conclude that the Church of England is a protestant denomination with High liturgical trappings but outside the apostolic succession. Cue creaking of timber as the branch theory falls apart.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100209298/russian-orthodox-tell-archbishop-of-canterbury-ordain-women-bishops-and-you-can-forget-about-unity/

Croix de Fer · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2013, 07:35:06 PM »

Let women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith. ~ 1 Corinthians 14:34

Anglicans lost all of the validity to their Rites after they broke from Rome, therefore, their apostolic "branch theory" carries NO weight for them. They are not even real priests and bishops, and when any of them convert back to the Catholic Church, they must be ordained again.

Solidus · « **Reply #2 on:** November 21, 2013, 08:23:59 PM »

Quote from: ascent

Let women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith. ~ 1 Corinthians 14:34

Anglicans lost all of the validity to their Rites after they broke from Rome, therefore, their apostolic "branch theory" carries NO weight for them. They are not even real priests and bishops, and when any of them convert back to the Catholic Church, they must be ordained again.

The women lectors at the Novus Ordo should read 1 Corinthians 14:34 from the pulpit.

poche · « **Reply #3 on:** November 21, 2013, 11:26:53 PM »

Quote from: Cantarella

Russian Orthodox tell Archbishop of Canterbury: ordain women bishops and you can forget about unity

There's a quaint Anglican concept of the universal Church known as the "branch theory". This claims that there are three main branches to apostolic Christianity: Roman, Orthodox and Anglican. It's much favoured by Church of England clerics who aren't very keen on "Romans", as they call Catholics, and convey their anti-Papist sentiment in pro-Orthodox code, forever banging on about the riches of Byzantine spirituality, the mystical power of icons, etc. Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, is an example of this breed.

What these pro-Orthodox Anglicans don't stress is that ordaining women priests was just as great an obstacle to unity with Constantinople and Moscow and it was to unity with Rome. And women bishops? Metropolitan Hilarion, head of ecuмenical relations for the Moscow Patriarchate, delivered a pretty blunt message to the new Archbishop of Canterbury last weekend (H/T Gillibrand):

The introduction of the institution of female bishops will lead to the elimination of even a theoretical possibility of the Moscow patriarchate recognising the church hierarchy of the Anglican church, the communications service of the Department of External Church Relations reported on Saturday.

Even a theoretical possibility, note. This is exactly the same message coming from Rome (please don't kid yourself that a change of Pope will make any difference). Of course, Hilarion's warning won't stop the C of E eventually ordaining women bishops, but let's be clear about the consequences: the Orthodox Churches, following the lead of Moscow, will finally conclude that the Church of England is a protestant denomination with High liturgical trappings but outside the apostolic succession. Cue creaking of timber as the branch theory falls apart.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100209298/russian-orthodox-tell-archbishop-of-canterbury-ordain-women-bishops-and-you-can-forget-about-unity/

I would have thought that this would be the case when they started to "ordain" women to the "priesthood."